Keeping up the RN license

[SoaringOwl]

Hi,

Can someone clue me in to what we need to do to keep up our licence? I have been meaning to ask my nurse educator, but I rarely see her. Do we just keep copies of CEU's and turn them in when due, or as we go along? Does anyone have a website with free or cheap CEU's? How many CEU hours do we need per year? I think we need HIV and med errors. Anything else?

I also have a license in another state, so are there any special considerations there? Just mail the same credits to them?

Thanks soooo much to anyone who can help.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Have you visited the website of both BONs? This is information typically kept very easy to find under the renewal tab.

Edit: A simple internet search for FL BON brings up the website- there is a tab for renewal, and tabs to click on for CEU.

Florida Board of Nursing » Registered Nurse (RN) - Licensing, Renewals & Information

It pays to be familiar with the website of your BON- it is the most reliable source for information (information from coworkers and even the educator may be wrong/out of date). Also, as a professional, it is your responsibility to know where to go for information.

[SoaringOwl]

Also, as a professional, it is your responsibility to know where to go for information.

Ouch, the jab wasn't needed. I'm brand-new at this. My last career kept track of our credits for us and we had meetings about what is required for certification and where we could go to get free credits. I guess nursing isn't that organized or thoughtful about it.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Ouch, the jab wasn't needed. I'm brand-new at this. My last career kept track of our credits for us and we had meetings about what is required for certification and where we could go to get free credits. I guess nursing isn't that organized or thoughtful about it.

Nursing, at least nursing practice, is about the responsibility of keeping up with our own license, which includes mandatory CEUs.

One of the aspects that was relayed to me in my nursing program in my Fundamentals class was our responsibility of keeping our licensure and CEUs intact, not our employers; we are responsible for maintaining and keeping our professional records, even for the sake of portability.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

In my state, it's not necessary to send in evidence of completed CEUs unless you are audited. And no CEUs are required for your first renewal.

It's not for a lack of organization or thoughtfulness that employers don't keep track of employees' CEUs and license renewal dates. It's your professional responsibility to renew your license on time, know your state's CEU requirements and complete your necessary CEUs. No one's ever told me or reminded me anything the 4 times I've had to renew my license.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Ouch, the jab wasn't needed. I'm brand-new at this. My last career kept track of our credits for us and we had meetings about what is required for certification and where we could go to get free credits. I guess nursing isn't that organized or thoughtful about it.

It wasn't intended as a jab. Your previous career went above and beyond by keeping track of what you needed and where to get it. However, most facilities don't do that for their employees- there are simply too many of them to keep track of (my facility employs a grand total near 9,000 people- a good number of them are licensed). It is simply the responsibility of the license holder to meet the necessary requirements, whether the employer keeps track of it or not.